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The Government will begin distributing herbal anti-HIV supplement from China that has been proved to significantly boost immunity of people living with HIV and Aids who are not on anti-retroviral therapies.

The supplement has undergone trials in Kenya for the past two years in collaboration with the Hong Kong-based S&E Biotechnology Development Ltd and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri). It has been registered and approved by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.

On Monday, the manufacturers of the "Restore Plus Granules" handed over Sh8 million worth of the supplement to Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o at a ceremony in Nairobi.

"The strong point is that the granules restrain viral replication without any harmful side effects that ARTs have. We hope it will boost the quality of lives for HIV patients and those suffering from depressed immunity," said S&E Chair Lu Ziyan.

S&B Biotechnology Development is heavily involved in researching and developing Chinese traditional medicine through a network of universities and hospitals.

China and other countries in East Asia have vibrant alternative medicine industry worth billions of shillings and experts have been calling for Kenya to maximise on its huge potential in existing traditional medicine through research.

lock out quacks

Meanwhile, a new law will see qualified practitioners of alternative medicines or herbalists in Kenya registered to lock out quacks from the multi-million sector, Prof Nyong’o has revealed.

Speaking on Monday at Afya House in Nairobi, the minister said the proposed law will make it mandatory for practitioners in the profession to be officially registered, accredited and regulated to ensure they deliver safe and effective treatments to Kenyans.

The proposed regulation will be part of a major health Bill that the two Ministries of Health will present to Parliament by July to make the health sector align itself to the Constitution.

"We want to ensure that we have qualified practitioners in the field of alternative medicine. The sector can solve many of the health problems in Kenya but it has to be regulated before we can see its benefits," he said.

The minister said all herbal medicines would first be rigorously tested before being allowed into the market.

You would think the money and efforts would be better directed towards getting ARVs out to more people, at a more affordable cost. They're playing on people's fears of side-effects, just to make a buck.

The Kenyan government should be concentrating on making the newer drugs available - and affordable - in their clinics rather than opening the doors to alternative meds that simply will not provide an undetectable viral load.

I'm sure this agreement has more to do with politics than it does health. China is very interested in gaining a foothold in Africa (because of all the natural resources) and this sounds like one of the ways they're doing it.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

If there were anything to this our insurance companies in the US would be shoving them down our throats already. Without sound experimental data proving it's positive effect that can be and has been repeated by other researchers then it's worthless garb. innocent people will die. Maybe just a form of euthenasia. I'll bet my life on scientific fact and the advice of those that have been there. Hopefully they'll make Poz+Kenyan officials take the herbs also.